Judge orders acquittal in dog shooting case

The case against Christopher Comins made news worldwide after the video of the shootings was posted on YouTube.

January 12, 2011|By Anthony Colarossi, Orlando Sentinel

Orange Circuit Judge Bob LeBlanc has granted a judgment of acquittal in the case of the man who shot two Siberian huskies in an Orange County cow pasture in May 2008.

The ruling came after the state rested its case several minutes ago.

The video of Christopher Comins shooting the two huskies went viral, gaining international attention. On Tuesday, the dog owner cried on the stand while describing what it was like to see his dogs shot.

The acquittal means that the trial is over and Comins has been cleared of the crime.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details of the acquittal.

Christopher Butler, the dog owner, said he came upon the cow pasture in May 2008 and watched as one of his dogs, Raley, came toward him wounded.

That's when Butler ran to that dog, Hoochie, and held him on the ground. "He was conscious. He was looking at me. I was just kind of holding him."

Christopher Comins is charged with two felony counts of animal cruelty with a firearm in the May 19, 2008, incident.

Thomas Sommerville and fellow defense attorney Chandler Muller argued Monday that the two huskies had escaped their owner, found cattle in the pasture and were "in the process of killing these cattle."

Butler testified this afternoon that Hoochie was more seriously injured and looked like he might die.

The dogs were later taken to a vet, where Hoochie stayed for five or six weeks before he could be taken home. Butler said the dog's eye was "hanging out" after the incident and the dog ultimately lost that eye.

Butler finished his testimony, saying the dogs live with him today in England. Butler had both dogs since they were pups. He knew it was possible the dogs could escape and take off if he took them off leash, which is what happened before the cow incident.

Butler said the pasture was about three miles from the home he was renting at the time. Muller, the defense attorney, asked why Butler did not conduct an active search for the dogs after they took off, noting that he did not call authorities or animal control for help. Butler said he cannot remember specifically what he did after the dogs ran away, but added, "I will never forget what happened in that field that day."

Earlier Tuesday, the owner of the cows, Gary Rumpza, testified, and said the cows were not injured by the dogs but "they were on the nervous side" following the incident with the huskies.

Assistant State Attorney Erin DeYoung objected to testimony about "the feelings of the cows," drawing laughter throughout the courtroom, but the witness was allowed to testify.

Rumpza said being circled by the dogs for three hours "stresses them out" and denies the baby cows their food. This prolonged period of stress could kill them, he said, adding that he did not call the vet for his cows on the day of the shooting because the dogs — or the threat — had been "eliminated."

Comins has said he was given permission to shoot the dogs by the property owner and the livestock owner in order to protect a young calf.

The shooting in the pasture near Lake Nona on land owned by developer Daryl Carter made news worldwide after video of it was posted on YouTube. Carter asked Comins to kill the dogs after he learned cattle might be in jeopardy on his land off Narcoossee Road.